Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Addicted to TPT?? ME TOO!


Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's Ashley, here, from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd! I'm here today to share a few more organizing ideas with you that I've found useful as I've become more and more addicted to and in LOVE with all of the fabulousness that TPT has provided me in the last several months!!!

 I hope you're ready to file that endless list of TPT purchases that you made! Are your files hidden in file folders somewhere on your desktop? Did you print the entire bundle that you bought and forget where you put it? Well, I hopefully have a perfect solution for you today!


It's amazing what posting a picture on instagram can spark!  

I posted this picture above a few weeks ago and it got so many views, questions, and comments about what I was doing and if I would share! Click {HERE} to read my post about my initial inspirations for this pack!

 So, naturally, I took your requests, ideas, and suggestions and I turned it into my latest organizing resource on TPT.   Honestly, I get SO much of my inspiration from YOU ALL, so THANK you for inspiring me to turn a measly little table into my TPT Purchase Organizer!

Here are a few snap shots of the product {you can click any one of them to link to the file on TPT}  before I dive into some details about the who, what, where, when, and how!





I wanted to share with you today a closer look at this organizing set to see if it might be "just what you are looking for" as several of my bloggy - - (like, super star bloggy status bloggy . . . like Mel-D?!?) AND non bloggy friends have told me that it is this week! :)

Who is it for?!
Um - do you love TPT?  Have you spent hours and {we won't say how much} LOTS of dollar signs snagging up resource after resource, emptying your cart and wish list time after time?!?!?  ME TOO!

Now, do you know whether or not you have a set of place value activities for 3 and 4 digit numbers?!? - Yeah, me neither....UNTIL I CREATED THIS SET!!

I have SOOO many awesome purchases from TPT, and I don't even know what all I own without forcing myself to go scroll through my purchases! And, let's face it, as teachers we don't have time like that to waste!! {Don't even get me started on the freebies that I've snagged or giveaways that I've won! Those files are endless, too!!}

 WELL if that sounds familiar - you may want to keep reading to take a closer look!

What is it?
It is an organizing set of cover photos and tables for you to insert thumbnails of the cover photos of your TPT purchases, clipart, borders, freebies, and any other resource you want to see at a glance! It's perfect for the visual learner like me to be able to SEE what you own! AND you get to see at glance with a page full of other great products that you own that fit the same category!

Below you can see an action shot of me adding the cover photo one of my newest purchases from my sweet friend Angie at Mrs. Olson's Lucky Little Learners! (you have to check out her interactive notebooks!) I'm adding her Fraction interactive notebook thumbnail image to my "math resources" page!
I decided to keep all of my thumbnails of her interactive notebooks all on one page so that I can see all of them at a glance together - - - and since the file is completely EDITABLE, I can move around the other images that I already added to be able do just that!

I have a separate section in my organizer for each "category" of products that I own on TPT.
The categories and sections of this binder include:


TPT Purchases

Fabulous Freebies

Clip Art

Borders

Paper
Fonts
Reading Resources
Math Resources
Writing Resources
Science Resources
SS Resources
Fall Resources
Winter Resources
Spring Resources
Summer Resources



**AND 6 Blank Covers and file page for you to add your own categories and titles to best meet your organizing needs! :)

**COMING SOON - matching spine labels :) I just haven't had a free minute second to even think about creating those!

Then - again because I'm a visual learner - once I think I'm "good" for a while as far as TPT purchases are concerned {HA!! I KID!}, I print my TPT Purchases and organizing pages and add them to my Schroeder Shenanigans resource binder that you can read much more about {HERE!}


Where is it?
You can take a closer look at my original post and ideas about this binder/organizing tool {HERE}.

Check it out on TPT {HERE}. . . . OR

if you like my organizing style, you may like to check out the discounted bundle that this pack is a part of {HERE}!



When should I use it?
There are certain things that I can "put off" or procrastinate on, but getting something like this taken care of was high on my priority list - - -THEN the secret is to keep up with it once you do get it all organized!

Even though I have my purchases pretty well organized and ready to go, now - EVERY TIME I check out at TPT, I download my new purchases into a folder called "FILE THESE PURCHASES"  that is on my desktop.  Then, when I have insomnia get the chance, I update my purchased files by putting them into my purchase organizer! I foresee SUMMER being the perfect time to get started on this, friends! Say - on the plane ride to Vegas, perhaps?! :) :)

HOW to do it!?
 The main reason that I decided to post about this this week is that I got a LOT of questions about how I insert the thumbnails into the file itself! So I wanted to take a few minutes and share that secret with you!

**Disclaimer - you may have or know a much fancier way to do this, but screen shots and I are like BFFs soooo I go the screen shot route! :)

1. Open up your purchases page and find the product(s) you want to insert.
again - a little Angie Olson fabulousness :)


2. Take a screen shot of the cover photo thumbnail!
I'm a MAC girl - - - so I hit and hold COMMAND+SHIFT+4.

This brings up a cross for me to drag over the image to take a shot or a picture of it!

3. The screen shot will be saved to your desktop...
Then, I open up the page in my TPT Purchaser that I want it to be on, choose to insert an image and then insert the screen shot that I took!

*I usually take screen shots of a whole bunch of covers that will go on the same page in my purchase organizer. Then you can insert several at once right into the page you want them on.  

You can also "drag" the screen shot thumbnail into your open TPT Purchase file, too! Whatever is easiest for you - go that route.  

I won't lie - it takes TIME!!! - but my sweet friend Allison said it best this week when she left me the best feedback ever on this pack . . . .

WHEW! Thanks for sticking with me, friends! I truly help that this helps you to organize your piles and purchases and more! :) Thanks for stopping by our blog, today!!



22 comments:

  1. You are such a doll, Ashley! Thank you for the shout out on my interactive notebooks. I appreciate you more than you realize!
    Mrs. Olson’s Lucky Little Learners

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    1. I literally was JUST getting out my phone to tag you on facebook to check this post out ;) <3 I appreciate YOU, friend!! :) Can't wait to meet you!!

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  2. You could also create links to each pack and save this as a PDF that you update every so often. Clicking a cover would then open the file! It would be a virtual catalog that way. :)

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    1. Wow, this would be cool. I have no idea how you would do this but it sounds great!

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    2. I add the links to my files when I put the cover photo into my plans for the week! Do you know - is there a way to link it to a PDF or to a file on your computer? I know you can link it to the tpt link, but if it's something I got as a flash freebie or that I won or that I got some way other than buying it, I'd have to be able to link to the file itself! - I wonder if there's a way to do that! :) Great idea! It would definitely take more time, but would be great to click and grab them! Thanks so much for your comment!

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    3. Yes -- I'll find you the how - to or I'll make it. :)

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    4. I can't wait to hear all about this! This would be amazing! Then you would know exactly what file it was in case you had to print something, or review something!! Thank you Ashley for the amazing product, and thank you Sarah for looking into this for us!!

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    5. Yay!! Sarah! That's awesome! The only options I ever get are to link to another keynote file or to another slide orrrr to a website link! I can't wait to hear how to! :) Thanks!!

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    6. You should be able to save your files to your google drive and then insert the google drive file link to your document. That should work! I'm loving all of the ideas that everybody shares! Totally going in to add links to the product pictures this weekend!

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    7. AHH!!! GENIUS! Link to Google docs!! Should've know that google was the answer! DUH!! :) :) LOVE!

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    8. Woah! Save to google drive and link drive file back the document! That's amazing, Angie! Totally genius!!!

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  3. Ashley, I love your organization and ideas! One day I will become tech savvy… I still have to figure out how to make products :)

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  4. Well I know what I will be doing after our Easter egg hunt today lol! Seriously this is a fabo idea and I have your set in my cart as we speak! Thanks so much.

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    1. Yay!! I'm so glad you like the faro idea ;) Thanks so much for your comments!

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  5. I love this Ashley, and I love how you explained it! I agree, a plane ride to Vegas would be a great time to spend working on this! I am driving out there though, so maybe I can convince someone else to drive so I can work on it then!?! Can't wait to meet you in Vegas!!

    Mrs. 3rd Grade 

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    1. I'm so glad you liked my explanations! :) :) And YAYYYY Vegas!! <3 Are you going to the meet up Wednesday night?!?!!?

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    2. EEEK! You are going to be there too Mrs. 3rd grade? I can't wait! You should definitely come to the blogger meet-up on that Wednesday before the conference!
      Mrs. Olson’s Lucky Little Learners

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  7. Love this, Ashley! Thank you for the explanations! I feel like I learn something new EVERYDAY with technology trying to do all of this TPT and blogging stuff. Many times it is trial and error, so I really appreciate you taking the time give tips on your posts as well as that great organizing product that I bought and need to get rolling soon!

    Thanks again!
    Carrie
    i Heart Second

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  8. I was one of the many who bought this after seeing it on IG. I bought it on Christmas Day. I am spending my break organizing all my files. I'm giddy over this product! It is amazing! You did a wonderful job on this, Ashley. You are one very talented gal! I'm so glad I found you! I'm a happy new follower!

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